PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has lashed out at Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) for making crucial decisions on operations of the central line without involving the government, saying the railway is not the property of TRL, but of the government of Tanzania and Tanzanians. The President said all key decisions of the railway should involve the government of Tanzania, which holds 49 per cent of TRL.
RITES company from India owns 51 per cent of the TRL shares. President Kikwete made the remarks yesterday when he met the leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and that of TRL, as part of a series of meetings with various ministries to assess their performance.
He told TRL officials that Tanzania was not a minority shareholder but a majority shareholder and partner of the company and that RITES had no right, whatsoever, about what TRL decide on their own without involving the government of Tanzania. The President told TRL management, point blank, that Tanzania still owned the railway by 100 per cent and that they were just employees tasked to operate it.
At the meeting held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Mr Kikwete explained that the government and RITES were in partnership and therefore, all decisions must be made jointly. He emphasized that the railway was the property of Tanzania and not somebody else. He emphased this after he received reports from TRL management on operational plans to be carried out.
The plans include; to get major credits for operating the railway without involving the government, to scrap off services in some areas on grounds that they are not profitable, application for more tax relief and to remove rail tracks between Tanzania and Kenya on grounds that it was not profitable.
The management also claimed that it was not getting profit in some routes , such as Tanga-Moshi-Arusha, Kahe-Taveta, Kidatu-Kilosa and Dodoma-Singida. President Kikwete said the credits must be sought after agreement between the two parties and that the government was not ready for such initiative if it (the government) would not be involved.
On plans to scrap off some routes, the President said the government leased the whole railway and not parts of the railway. He noted further that RITES conducted feasibility study before entering into partnership and therefore knew before state of profitability of all routes.
He also said that the government was not ready to offer further tax exemptions to RITES because such exemptions or relief would be uneconomical. The President also said that removal of any tracks of the railway would be tantamount to sabotage. President Kikwete states that the government want to see that all repairs of wagons are done in TRL workshop in Morogoro and not elsewhere.
DAILY NEWS Reporter
Daily News;
Friday,January 16, 2009
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11 comments:
Jk mimi nakufagilia. Mashirika kama haya inabidi mkono wa serikali usicheze mbali.
Dr.JK make our Rail a true transportation alternative for the future.
Mwaka elfu mbili na kumi wewe tu, hatutaki kusikia mpuuzi yeyote YULE.
Jackson
NY
Now, we realize that the only long-distance passenger carrier in the country, is terminally broken and underfunded and suffering from decades of neglect. But with Jk on board I have no doubt that passenger rail will be back on track.
Good Dr. Jk
It wasn't surprise to me, to see my president stapping on because he know the importance of rail transportation.
Tatizo kubwa limetokana na utawala uliopita kubinafsisha mashirika kama haya kwa 10%
Rather than bailing out fisadi's, we need infrastructure reinvestments that benefit We the people
Makweta
OH
Rail transportation is characterized by a high level of economic and territorial control since most rail companies are operating in situation of monopoly, as in Europe, or monopoly, as in North America
How about in tanzania. Jk you right, and we have to remember that investor from india are selfish, are not after us. I don't like them at all
Mashaka
NY
also don't forget rail transportation has a low level of space consumption along lines, but its terminals are important consumers of space, especially in urban areas like kigoma,dodoma,tabora etc. This increases operation costs substantially.
It's all about rail transportation !!!!
Makumbi
London--UK
Hawa waindi wametunyanyasa sana kipindi cha mkapa na kupewa kipaumbele kwa kushirikiana na mafisadi. hatuwataki kabisa, jk waeleze mali zetu ni zetu.
Tanzania has been affected by the increasing number of ivestors from india. Why i am saying this because they are the source of corruption in our country. We need to be carefully with them because they are getting ready to finish our country.
Zungu
Manchester
Uk
How about pipelines are an extremely important and extensive mode of land transport, although very rarely appreciated or recognized by the general public, mainly because they are buried underground
Mayanga
Sweeden
Rail travel is six times safer than road travel and worldwide, the safest mode of all.
Rail transportation capacity can be added to many areas for
a lower cost with modernized or new speed rail.
Kiti motto,
Ugiriki
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